Electricity: conductors and insulators – Conduits – cables or conductors – Combined
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-09
2001-07-31
Reichard, Dean A. (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Conduits, cables or conductors
Combined
C174S095000, C248S068100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06268566
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an electric wire holder for laterally arranging a plurality of electric wires in an air duct of a motor vehicle, for example, and more particularly, to an electric wire holder wherein a number of electric wires can be arranged along with reduction of an arranging space, increase and decrease in number of electric wire can be easily coped with, and each electric wire can be surely and tightly held.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 8 and 9
show a prior art electric wire holding means disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 9-306608.
An air duct
101
of synthetic resin is arranged in an instrument panel of a motor vehicle as shown in
FIG. 8
, and a wiring harness
102
for electrically connecting various electric appliance units mounted the instrument panel is arranged in a peripheral wall of the air duct
101
. The wiring harness
102
consists mainly of a flat arranged wire bundle
121
with several branches and connectors
122
attached to the branched ends of the flat arranged wire bundle
121
.
The wiring harness
102
is arranged on the peripheral wall of the air duct
101
by such a means shown in
FIG.9
conventionally.
More specifically, a plurality of electric wires
121
a
constituting the wiring harness
102
are adhesively connected in a flat state and a slit S is partially provided between the electric wires
121
a,
and, on the other hand, a wiring harness arranging groove
110
is formed along the peripheral wall of the air duct
101
and an insulating rib
111
corresponding to the slit S projects partially from the wiring harness arranging groove
110
. The flat arranged wire bundle
121
is fixed with an adhesive on the wiring harness arranging groove
110
, while the insulating rib
111
is inserted into the slit S.
With respect to the above prior art wiring harness arranging means, however, since width of the flat arranged wire bundle
121
becomes large in proportion to number of the electric wire
121
a,
thereby enlarging the arranging space, too many of the electric wires
121
a
could not be arranged by restriction of a space of the peripheral wall of the air duct
101
or of an interfering object like a blower unit.
And, since number of the wiring harness arranging grooves
110
to fix the flat arranged wire bundle
121
is fixed, it is difficult to cope with increase and decrease in number of electric wire according to difference between a popular motor vehicle and a luxury motor vehicle.
Further, since the adhesion of the flat arranged wire bundle
121
to the wiring harness arranging groove
110
is short of holding ability against tensile force, the flat arranged wire bundle
121
would come off the wiring harness arranging groove by strong tensile force especially near the connector.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide an electric wire holder, wherein a number of electric wires can be arranged along with reduction of an arranging space, increase and decrease in number of electric wire can be easily coped with, and each electric wire can be surely and tightly held.
In order to achieve the above-described object, in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, the electric wire holder for laterally arranging a plurality of electric wires on an object includes a plurality of slit-like receiving portions each formed with wall portions standing on a base portion and facing to each other for receiving an electric wire, wherein the wall portions are heightened more than a diameter of the electric wire according to number of the electric wire to be held so as to receive the plurality of electric wires in pile in a single receiving portion.
According to the above structure, since the receiving portion can vertically receive a plurality of electric wires, a number of electric wires can be arranged, simultaneously with reduction of an arranging space of the electric wires, and then increase and decrease in number of electric wire can be easily coped with.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, the electric wire holder includes: a plurality of slit-like receiving portions each formed with wall portions standing on a base portion and facing to each other for receiving an electric wire; and a thermoplastic projecting portion provided at least on both ends of the wall portion, wherein the electric wire is held in the receiving portion by means of thermal deformation of the projecting portion.
According to the above structure, since the electric wire holder holds a plurality of the electric wires, one by one, in the slit-like receiving portions by both of pressure-contact and thermoplastic deformation, holding ability against upward and lateral tensile force can be improved and, therefore, each of the electric wires can be surely and tightly held.
In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, the electric wire holder includes: the plurality of slit-like receiving portions each formed with the pair of wall portions facing to each other for receiving the electric wire, wherein the wall portions are heightened more than the diameter of the electric wire according to number of the electric wire to be held; and the thermoplastic projecting portion provided at least on both ends of the wall portion, wherein the electric wire is held in the receiving portion by means of thermal deformation of the projecting portion.
According to the above structure, a number of electric wires can be arranged, while reducing an arranging space of the electric wires, and increase and decrease in number of electric wire can be easily coped with. Simultaneously, each of the electric wires can be surely and tightly held.
In accordance with a fourth aspect of the present invention, the receiving portion is formed in a substantially crank-like shape by bending the wall portion in a substantially crank-like shape so as to bend the electric wire in a substantially crank-like shape for surely and tightly holding the electric wire in the receiving portion.
According to the above structure, holding ability of the electric wire for longitudinal tensile force is improved and especially, in case that the electric wire holder is provided near a connector, the electric wire can be surely held, withstanding tensile force toward the connector.
In accordance with a fifth aspect of the present invention, a space between the wall portions facing to each other is a little smaller than the diameter of the electric wire and simultaneously a circular-arc shaped concave corresponding to an external form of the electric wire is formed on the wall portion at an abutting surface against the electric wire so as to hold the electric wire within the receiving portion with keeping in pressure-contact with the concave.
According to the above structure, the electric wire can be more surely held within each of the receiving portions and besides, a plurality of electric wires can be positioned vertically in case the plurality of electric wires are received in one receiving portion.
In accordance with a sixth aspect of the present invention, the electric wire holder further includes pressure-contacting portions, each provided on the wall portions facing to each other, facing to each other with a gap a little smaller than the diameter of the electric wire so as to hold the electric wire within the receiving portion with keeping in pressure-contact with the pressure-contacting portions.
According to the above structure, since the space between the wall portions facing oppositely to each other is larger than the diameter of the electric wire, the electric wire can be easily received in the receiving portion, while being surely held by the pressure-contacting portions.
In accordance with a seventh aspect of the present invention, the electric wire holder is formed integrally with or separately from a wiring harness arranging path provided on the object thereby to hold a wiring harness on the wiring
Murofushi Haruyoshi
Takiguchi Shuji
Armstrong Westerman Hattori McLeland & Naughton LLP
Nino Adolfo
Reichard Dean A.
Yazaki -Corporation
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